1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for efficiently extracting heat and mechanical energy from a pressured gas by expanding same in a rotating fluid pressure chamber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the co-pending application of James. G. Adams, Ser. No. 343,240, filed Jan. 28, 1982, now abandoned, there is disclosed a prime mover for an air conditioning system which allegedly involves the extraction of both heat and mechanical energy from a pressured refrigerant gas through the non-combustible expansion of such gas in a piston and cylinder assembly wherein the piston and cylinder are linearly relatively movable with respect to each other. Such piston and cylinder assemblies are mounted on a rotating supporting body and positioned on such body so that the path of relative linear movement of the piston and cylinder elements is disposed in a plane substantially normal to the axis of rotation and is radially displaced from the axis of rotation. Such location of the piston and cylinder elements effects displacement of the movable one of such elements to a radially outward position as a consequence of centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the piston and cylinder assembly by the rotation body. A charge of pressured gas is introduced into the piston and cylinder assembly so as to cause a relative movement of the piston and cylinder elements in a direction in opposition to the centrifugal forces acting thereon. The gas pressure reaction force allegedly assists in driving the rotating body, while the concurrent expansion of the pressured gas results in a substantial cooling of the confined body of pressured gas. Hence, the movable one of the piston and cylinder elements assumes a radially inner position at which point exhaust ports are traversed by the piston, permitting the expanded and cooled gas to be exhausted in a chamber defined by an enclosure shell which surrounds the rotating body and the piston and cylinder assemblage.
The apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned James G. Adams application then proposed to effect a compression of the expanded and cooled gas through the centrifugal action of the rotating chamber within which such cooled gas was discharged. Further experimentation has revealed the fact that excessively high rotational speeds of such rotating chamber would be required to effect the condensation of the cooled gas solely by centrifugal force. At the same time, the higher the rotational speed of the rotating body, the higher the pressure of the gas that must be supplied to the cooperating piston and cylinder elements in order to effect displacement of such elements against the ever increasing centrifugal forces.
In such prior art apparatus, a connecting rod has been secured to each of the piston elements, and such connecting rods were in turn respectively connected to rocker arms provided on a hub which was rotatable about the axis of the rotating body carrying the piston and cylinder elements. Additionally, each cylinder had to be pivotally mounted on the rotating body. The oscillating movement of the hub imparted by the piston connecting rods was employed to operate control valves for supplying pressured fluid to, or removing cooled expended gas from the cylinder chambers. Such connecting rod, hub mechanism and cylinder pivot mountings constituted expensive items to fabricate and maintain.
More importantly, a technical analysis of the apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned ADAMS application revealed that such apparatus could not extract mechanical energy from the pressured gas supplied to the apparatus, if it was desired to use the apparatus as a fluid pressure driven motor. While the rotational speed of the rotating cylinders is temporarily increased during the inward gas expansion movement of the cooperating pistons, an almost identical decrease in speed of rotation occurs when the pistons return to their outermost position. Thus, no net transfer of mechanical energy from the pressured gas actually resulted from a complete cycle of piston movement.